not the Opinions of Men not Custom nor the invented Fictions of the Wise not the Magnificent Decrees of Sects not Syllogisms Enthymems not Inductions not soluble Consequences but Divine Oracles consonant to one another received by the Universal Church with an unanimous and solid consent approved by Miracles Prodigies Wonders Holiness of life and testimony of Martyrdom The Doctors of this Prophetick Theologie were Moses Job David Solomon and many other Canonical Writers and Prophets The Teachers of the New Testament were the Apostles and Evangelists but all these notwithstanding they were fill'd with the Holy Ghost yet all at one time or other stray'd from the Truth and in some measure spake untruly not that they did so wittingly or craftily for to say so would be a greater Errour than that of Arius or Sabellicus subverting the whole Authority of the Scripture in which Errour notwithstanding the great and holy S. Jerome persisted disputing against S. Augustine about the reprehension of Peter for S. Paul said that S. Jerome told a lye craftily Which should it be granted and that such an untruth should be admitted in the Bible immediately as S. Austin saith the whole certainty of the Bible would fall to ruine But S. Jerome being thus admonisht after many Contradictions and defences at length acknowledged his Errour and confess'd the Truth But what I say that the holy Writers did secundum quid speak things not altogether true I would have to be understood so as that they did not willingly erre but onely stray through humane frailty Thus Moses failed in telling the people he would bring them out of Aegypt and carry them into the Land of Canaan for though he brought them out of Aegypt he did not carry them into the Land of promise Jonas failed in foretelling the destruction of Nineveh within forty days intended but delay'd Elijah failed in foretelling many things to come to pass in the days of Ahab which yet were not fulfill'd till after his death Isaiah failed foretelling the death of Hezekiah the next day when his life was prolonged fifteen years afterwards Many other Prophets also fail'd and their predictions are found either not to have come to pass at all or else to have been suspended The Apostles also and Evangelists fail'd Peter also fail'd when he was reprehended by S. Paul Matthew also fail'd when he wrote that Christ was not dead till the Launce had pierced his side But this defect was no defect of the Holy Ghost but either of the Prophet not rightly delivering what was suggested by the Holy Ghost or the Vision did declare or else proceeding from some alteration of the event of the Command the sentence of the Oracle being either alter'd or defer'd Hence it follows that all Prophets and Writers in some things seem to fail and erre according to the Scripture which saith All men are lyers Onely Christ both God and man never was nor shall be found to fail nor shall his words be altered or be defective who void of Errour divulged his Oracles most immutable as he said himself The heaven and the earth shall pass away but my words shall not pass away Now because all Truth is through the Holy Ghost therefore onely Christ possesses this Truth firmly nor shall it ever depart from him but remains in him But it is not so with others for the Spirit was with Moses but when he strake the Rock it was departed It was with Aaron but departed when he made the Calf It was with Anna their sister but not when she murmured against Moses It was with Saul David Solomon Isaiah c. but rested not constantly with them Neither are Prophets always Prophets or Seers or foretellers of things to come nor is Prophecie a continual habit but a gift passion or transient spirit And whereas there is no man who doth not sin so there is no man from whom the Spirit doth not sometimes depart and leave him unless it be Christ the onely Son of God of whom it was therefore said to John He upon whom thou sawest the Spirit descending and remaining with him he is the Son of God who Baptizeth with the Holy Ghost being also able to impart the same to others Therefore as saith Simonides onely God hath this honour that he is onely Metaphysical so may we say of Christ that onely Christ hath this honour to be a Divine However let no man think that the Writings of the Old Testament since the Gospel of Christ had its divine birth from them are therefore obsolete and dead for they will ever live in high authority for by them have the Apostles proved their Tenets and without their testimony they have spoken nothing and Christ refers us to the search of them whose Gospel doth not at all abolish those Writings but fulfill'd the Law to the least tittle This is also to be noted that many Volumes of the Holy Scripture are lost which we may easily gather from the Scripture it self For Moses cites Books of The Wars of the Lord and Joshuah The Book of the Just Esther The Book of memorable things and Macchabees cites the holy Books of the Spartiatae and the Books of the Kings cite Books of Lamentations Books of Samuel the Seer Books and Writings of Nathan God Semeiah Haddo Ahia the Shilonite of Jehu the son of Ammon Jude also in his Canonical Epistle cites the Book of Enoch And some Authors of credit have cited a Book of Abraham the Patriarch All which are lost and never to be found Nor are these which we have received of equal Authority for Dionysius makes mention of A Gospel of S. Bartholomew and S. Jerome takes notice of A Gospel according to the Nazarenes and S. Luke in his Preface to his Gospel saith that many did undertake to write Gospels which are all lost And many others there are which are either corrupted with Heresie or set forth without Authority and so neither received by the holy Fathers nor approved by the Church I omit false Prophets who have come in by the by prophesying through vain-glory things which the holy Spirit never suggested but unheard-of lyes neither according to the Scripture nor tending either to unity of Spirit or the peace of the Church but for the introducing of Schism who rashly making themselves of Gods Privie Council dare presume to take the Word of God into their own mouthes and to write Scriptures and Prophecies altogether Heretical or Apocryphal Nor were the Canticles of Solomon inserted among the Canonical Books till they were corrected and approv'd by Isaiah From hence it appears how that Theologie it self that is to say the holy Scripture wants many of its Volumes and may in a manner seem defective and few of many that remain are true and certain really Books of life and Canonical CHAP. C. Of the Word of God YE have now heard how doubtful how uncertain how ambiguous all the Sciences are and how for any thing in them contained we
and Prince of this World in Leviticus nam'd the Prince of the Deserts to whom it was said in Genesis Thou shalt eat the dust all the days of thy life And in Isaiah The Dust is thy bread that is our Corporeal Body Created out of the dust of the Earth so long as it remains unsanctifi'd and not chang'd for the better to be no longer then at the disposal of the Serpent but of God according to the word of St. Paul It is sow'd corporal but shall rise spiritual And in another place All shall rise but all shall not be chang'd for that many shall remain perpetual food for the Serpent This foul and detestable matter of the Flesh the food of the Serpent lies in the Grave in hopes of a better Lot and spiritual Transmutation which is already come to pass in those that have already tasted the first-Fruits of Redemption and some have attain'd it by vertue of the Deifick Spirit as Elias and Enoch and as some are of opinion Moses whose bodies being chang'd into the nature of Spirits never saw corruption nor as other Carcasses were left to the power of the Serpent And something to this purpose it was thought was the great dispute of Michael with the Devil about the body of Moses which St. Jude mentions in his Epistle Thus much concerning Conjuring and Necromancy CHAP. XLVI Of Theurgy MAny there are that believe Theurgy not to be unlawful which pretends to have to do with none but good Angels and the Divine Numen himself though under the names of God and Angels it proves to be onely the delusion and mockery of evil Spirits It pretends no natural Power but to make use of Celestial Ceremonies by which they think to attract and reconcile the Divine Natures Concerning which the antient Magi have deliver'd several Rules in several Volumes But the chiefest part of their Ceremonies is in observing Cleanliness first of the Soul then of the Body then of those things about the Body as in the Skin the Garments the Dwelling Vessels Utensils Immolations and Sacrifices which cleanliness renders them capable of being the receptacles and fit for the entertainment of Divine Spirits and is very much encourag'd and commended in Sacred Scripture according to the words of Esay Be glad and be clean and take away the evil of your thoughts But uncleanness which often corrupts and defiles and infects man disturbs the most clean and pure Society of Celestial Beings and chases away the spotless Spirits and Angels of God It is true that many times unclean and delusive powers to the end they may be ador'd and worship'd for Gods do counterfeit this Purity and therefore great diligence and care is to be us'd for the avoiding thereof and therefore we have abundantly discours'd thereof in our Books of Occult Philosophy Now of this Theurgy or Divine Magick Porphyrius having delivered many things at length concludes that by Theurgick Operations the soul may be made fit to receive Spirits and Angels and to see and converse with them but that there can be any access to the Deity thereby he altogether denies His Rules and Directions are contain'd in his Art Almabel his Notorious Art his Art Pauline his Art of Revelations where are abundance of Superstitions to be found which are so much the more pernicious by how much they seem more Losty and Divine to the unskilful CHAP. XLVII Of the Cabalists HEre the words of Pliny come into my minde There is saith he another Sect of Magicians of which Moses and Latopea Jews were the first Authors which words bring to my remembrance the Cabala of the Jews which as the constant opinion among the Hebrews goes was delivered by God to Moses and thence through succession of Ages even to the times of Ezra preserv'd by Tradition onely without the help of writing As of old the Doctrine of Pythagoras was delivered by Archippus and Lysiades who kept School at Thebes in Greece where the Scholars learning all their Masters Precepts by heart made use onely of their Memories instead of Books So certain Jews despising Letters plac'd all their Learning in Memory Observation and verbal Tradition whence it was call'd by the Hebrews Cabala that is to say a receiving from one to another by the Ear An Art by report very antient though the name be but of later times known among the Christians Now this Cabala they divide into three parts the first contains the knowledge of Bresith which they call also Cosmology explaining and teaching the force and efficacie of things created Natural or Celestial expounding also the Laws and Mysteries of the Bible according to Philosophical reasons which for that cause differs little from Natural Magick wherein they say K. Solomon excell'd Therefore we finde in the Sacred Histories of the Jews that he was wont to discourse from the Cedar of Libanon to the low Hyssop as also of Cattle Birds Reptiles and Fish all which contain within themselves a certain kinde of Magical vertue Moses also the Egyptian in his Expositions upon the Pentateuch and most of the Talmudists have followed the Rules of this Art The other part thereof contains the knowledge of more sublime things as of Divine and Angelical Powers the contemplation of Sacred Names and Characters being a certain kinde of Symbolical Theology wherein the Letters Figures Numbers Names Points Lines Accents are esteemed to contain the significations of most profound things and great Mysteries This part again is twofold Arithmantick handling the nature of Angels the Powers Names Characters of Spirits and Souls departed and Theomantick which searches into the mysteries of the Divine Majesty his Emanations his Names and Pentacula which he that attains to they account endu'd with most admirable power By vertue of this Art they say Moses wrought so many Miracles changing his Rod into a Serpent the Water into Blood and plagu'd Egypt with Frogs Flyes Lice Locusts Emrodes and Pestilence slaying the first-born of Man and Beast By this Art he divided the Red-sea caus'd Water to flow out of the Rock brought the Qualls into the Wilderness sweeten'd the bitter Waters made Lightning by day and a Pillar of Fire by night to lead the March of his people call'd down the Voice of God among the people By this Art he punish'd the Arrogant with Fire the Murmurers with Leprosie Mutiners with sudden Destruction causing the Earth to swallow them up preserv'd the Clothes of the Israelites from wearing out and gave them Victory over their Enemies Lastly by means of this Art Josua commanded the Sun to stand still Elias call'd down Fire from Heaven and rais'd the dead Youth to life Daniel muzzled the Lions mouths and the three Children sang in the middle of the fiery Furnace Nay the perfidious and unbelieving Jews stick not to aver that Christ himself wrought all his Miracles by vertue of this Art Solomon as they say did excel in this Art and that he discovered several secrets thereof
apparent what great Contention there is among them touching the Essence of the Soul Nor are the Contentions and Variances less or less Numerous than their Disputes when they come to make inquiry which is the Seat of the Soul For Hippocrates and Hierophilus place it in the Fibres or Ventricles of the Brain Democritus in the whole Region of the Temples Eratistratus in the Epicranidal Membrane Strabo within the space between the Eye-brows Epicurus gives it room in the whole Brest Diogenes in the Arterial Ventricle of the Heart the Stoicks with Chrysippus in the whole Heart and Spirits that surround the Heart Empedocles seats it in the Blood to which Opinion Moses seems to give way while he forbids his People to eat the Blood of any thing because the Soul of every Animal is seated therein Plato and Aristotle and the more Noble Sects of Philosophers place the Soul in the whole Body Galen is of Opinion That every part of the Body has his particular Soul For so he makes it appear in his Book of the Usefulness of the Parts There are many Particles of Animals some greater some lesser others altogether indivisible into the Species of the Creatures yet necessarily every of those wants a Soul For the Body is the Organ thereof and therefore the Particles of the Body are very much different one from another because the Souls are different I cannot here pass by a Sentence of Beda the Divine who writing upon Mark The Principal seat of the Soul saith he is not as Plato thinks in the Brain but to follow the Doctrine of Christ in the Heart Now as concerning the Continuation of the Soul Democritus and Epicurus were of Opinion That it dy'd with the Body Plato and Pythagoras held it to be altogether Immortal but that being out of the Body it retires to some Nature or being like it self The Stoicks taking the middle way between both these assert that the Soul shall leave the Body but that if it be not purified and dignifi'd with the excellent Vertues to be possessed in this Life that then it shall presently dye but that if it be endu'd with Heroical Vertues then that it may attain the Heavenly Seats and be associated with those Sympathiâ—ing Natures that stay there in expectance of being joyn'd unto it Aristotle taught That some parts of the Soul which remain in Corporeal seats are inseparable from the same and therefore dye with them but that the Understanding which wants no Corporeal Organ is separate from the Corruptible Parts But he is so far from delivering any thing of farther perspicuity that his Interpreters do wholly abandon the Discourse thereof Alexander the Aphrodisean saith That most certainly he held the Soul to be Mortal And of the same Opinion among us is Gregory Nazianzene Against these Pleton and Thomas Aquinas in defence of Aristotle most stiffly stands up affirming that he was in the right Opinion concerning the Immortality of the Soul Moreover Averroes that most exquisite Commentator upon Aristotle believes that every man has a peculiar Soul but Mortal But that the Mind or Understanding is Eternal having neither Beginning nor End of which there was but one kind that all men use in this Life Themistius saith That Aristotle held one only Active Understanding but that the Understanding capable of Subjects was manifold and that both were Immortal Thus through the strange Dissentions and Garboils of these Philosophers it comes to pass that there are so many absurd Contests among our Christian Divines about the Original of the Soul among whom there are some that believe that the Souls of all Men were Created at the Beginning and remaining there as in a Store-house till they come to be us'd of which Opinion above all the rest is the Learned Origen St. Austin also believes That the Soul of our First Parent had its Original from Heaven being something Elder than the Body and perceiving the Body to be a fit Habitation of its own accord did covet the same however he does not affirm it for any certain or positive Maxime Others believe the Soul to be propagated extraduce from Parent to Parent and that the Soul is begot by the Soul as the Body is begot by the Body of which Opinion was Apollinaris Bishop of Laodicea Tertullian Cyril and Luciferianus against whose Heresie St. Jerom fiercely Combats Others are of Opinion That Souls are Created daily by God which Opinion Thomas Aquinas follows defending himself with that Peripatetical Argument that seeing that the Soul is the Form of the Body the same ought not to be Created apart but in the Body to which Opinion the Universal Judgment of our Modern Divines adheres I omit the Degrees Ascentions and Descentions of Souls which the Origenists have brought into play as being neither strengthned by Scripture nor consenâ—aneous to the Thesis of Christianity so little of certainly there is either among Philosophers or among Divines concerning the Original or indeed the very meaning and definition of the Word Soul For Epicurus and Aristotle believe it Mortal Plato's Circle brings it to the same Station again in so many years Some there are that as Plato says contract it within the Verges of Humane Bodies others diffuse it into the Bodies of Animals some restore it to Heaven from whence they had it others send it on Pilgrimage about the World Some that Compel it to Infernal Hell others deny any some say That every Soul is Created by it self others say They were all Created together So far Thomas There was Averroes who undertaking to broach something more remarkable First held the Vnity of the Understanding The Manichaean Hereticks were of Opinion That there was but one Soul of the Universe dispers'd as well into Inanimate as Animate Bodies but that those things which are without Life lâ—â—s participate thereof that Animate things have a greater share and Coelestial things the greatest of all and at length they conclude That singular Souls are but parts of the Universal Soul Plato also holds but one Universal Soul of the World but other Souls for particular Creatures as if the World subsisted only by its own Soul but particular Creatures were animated by particular Souls Others there are that will have but one sort of Souls Others make a twofold Soul that is to say Rational and Irrational Others say there are many as many as there be species of living Creatures Galen the Physitian affirms That there are various and distinct Souls in divers Creatures according to the variety of the Species and moreover he appoints many Souls in one Body There are other that place two Souls in a Man one sensitive from Generation the other intellectual from Creation among these we finde Occam the Divine Plotinus will have the Soul to be one thing and the Understanding to be another with whom Apollinaris consents Some there are that do not distinguish between the Soul and the Understanding but they say that it is the most